This article is a Guest Post.
Are you finding it challenging to make your child concentrate even on small tasks? It is quite normal for most kids to be all over the place. This is because kids are curious, energetic and their attention span is small.
However, this doesn’t mean they can’t concentrate even on small matters. Poor concentration has negative consequences, some of which can impact the future of your child. Some of the negative consequences of poor concentration include daydreaming, lack of interest in sports, learning problems, poor memory, among others.
Concentration is essential to help them complete homework and other activities. Even though it may be hard to make your kids focus, it is essential to help them.
Here are the unexpected ways to help increase concentration in children.
1. Remove Distractions
One of the easiest and unexpected ways that you can make your children concentrate is by removing interruptions. Think of how many times you as the adult have been distracted by your surroundings, don’t you think kids face the same challenge?
Interruptions can come from different things in your children’s life. These distractions include pets, messy rooms, electronic devices, among others. You can take the devices away from them then return them back when they are done with their work. A study has shown that electronic devices can affect a child’s ability to pay attention, think clearly, or even remember stuff.
Your children need a higher level of concentration when doing tasks, and a clean and silent environment should help with that.
When clearing distractions, remember to note the kind of environment your child needs to work on. Ensure the ambience is perfect, keep the lighting soft and play some soft music in the background.
Even though gadgets are not recommended, your child needs a computer to study; you should give it to them. However, ensure they strictly use it for studies.
2. Give Them Smaller Tasks
Another way you can help increase concentration in children is by giving them smaller tasks. Children can easily lose focus when faced with challenging tasks or when working on a bigger project.
Dividing these assignments into smaller tasks will help them stay focused. For instance, if they have the whole exercise to complete, you can ask them to tackle three questions, then the rest later. This will make the exercise easier and more likely for them to pay attention to it.
If they are building a science project, they can assemble the necessary stuff first then build each set at a time.
3. Physical Activities
Ever heard that regular exercises can lead to increased concentration? Well, the tale is as old as time.
According to professor Charles Hillman of the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois, physical activities increase focus on children. Also, when children exercise well, their school performance improves.
Most schools in the UK have adopted the narrative and incorporated physical activities in the form of PE in their curriculum. Children and even adults should engage in at least an hour of vigorous activities every day.
As a parent, you can encourage your child to play or even ask them to join you for a jog. This will not only help in improving their concentration but also help in bringing you to close.
4. Proper Nutrition
Did you know that nutrition is essential for both brain development and proper concentration in children? The brain is made of fatty acids that aid in its development. One of the fatty acids which exist in abundance is known as Docosahexaenoic acid and is essential for the development of nerve tissues.
According to a review, Fatty acid helps in promoting various cognitive functions such as memory and concentration. When there are low levels of docosahexaenoic acid in the brain, a child will experience cognitive disorders.
As a parent or caregiver, it is crucial to consider this and give your children foods rich in fatty acids. This will help boost their concentration and, ultimately, their brain development, especially if the children are young.
5. Establish a Routine
Setting a routine for your children helps in setting boundaries, creating expectations, and encouraging consistency. Children will become familiar with the daily routine, and this will help them concentrate on their tasks.
You may be asking why some children lose concentration in schools, even with the presence of the routine. Well, the reason is that school has various uncertainties that may interfere with the children’s concentration.
When the children are at home, you can set a clear routine so that they can know what to expect at what time. The author of Better Than Before, Gretchen Rubin, recommends pairing new habits with existing ones to help them blend.
Framing the new habits around the ones that are in place will help them adjust easily and concentrate. For instance, if you want them to start reading, you can make it a habit before they sleep.
A routine can also help children with anxiety; knowing what to expect will keep them calm.
6. Ensure They Take Breaks
Another way you can make your children concentrate more is by allowing them to take regular breaks from their activities. You know that working continuously, even as an adult, can lead to fatigue and lack of concentration. For this reason, one needs a break from time to time to reset the mind.
Various studies have proven that taking regular breaks is essential. It doesn’t have to be a long break as long as the mind and body are well-rested and ready to get back into the activity. However, you should note that taking a break doesn’t mean going through social media because it affects concentration. Research by Huffington post showed that social networking increases stress.
Researchers recommend engaging in exercises when on a short break. During the exercise, the brain releases GABA, which is a type of neurotransmitter that calms it.
A nap is also recommended if exercising is out of the question. You can encourage you, children, to take a 30-minute nap to help improve their concentration when they wake up.
7. Play Games That Requires Focus
You can also boost your children’s concentration by encouraging them to play games that require them to think critically. These games that require focus include:
· Thinking Games
These are games that need the player to plan and think critically to solve or accomplish them. They include the jigsaw puzzle, card games, and crossword puzzle.
Besides improving concentration, the games also help in improving problem-solving skills.
· Just Sit Game
This game involves a child sitting on a chair for as long as they can to determine how far they can last without getting tired, fidget, or moving.
The more a child repeatedly plays the game, the higher the chances of increased concentration.
· Sequencing
Sequencing is another game that requires focus. These games require the player to follow given rules. Some of the activities that require a procedure include cooking with a recipe and setting the table.
· Online Games
Even though you may question this, it’s probably good to keep an open mind. Online games can also help in improving concentration. Children can live stream games that they like. However, if you are wondering how to see who is watching your stream on Twitch, know it’s possible.
8. Understand the Different Ways Your Children Learn
Children are different not only physically and in terms of personalities but also how they process information. Some learn visually, while others need to hear the information, and others need to touch it to understand.
Once you understand your child’s way of learning, you can determine the best way to help them improve their concentration.
If your child learns through visual, provide them with written materials to help them process the information. Create flashcards that will help them look at the concept repeatedly and understand them.
If your child learns through touching (kinesthetic), you can show them models of something and have them recreate it. This will help improve their concentration.
9. Ensure the Children Get Enough Rest
It is no secret that getting enough rest is important for a healthy life. But did you know that taking enough rest also helps in improving concentration in children?
Ensure they get enough sleep at night so that they don’t get distracted during the day by sleep. Also, make sure that after every vigorous exercise, they are well-rested before embarking on another activity.
10. Make Them Do Chores
One of the easiest and unexpected ways that you can make your children concentrate is by assigning them chores. Studies show that assigning chores has various benefits, including concentration. Assigning them tasks and making sure they complete them in time will teach them the value of hard work.
Daily chores will help them become responsible and understand that it is their duty to complete tasks on time. This responsibility will be manifested even on other activities and hence make them focus more.
Final Word
Concentration in children is important to help them stay focused on their studies and other activities. However, keeping children focused may be hard, especially when you don’t have an idea about where to start. The above ways will help you improve concentration in your children.
You can try all of them and see which one works well for you and your child. But you should keep in mind that some methods may require time and patience to be effective.
This article is a Guest Post.
